Fare Thee Well, Bill Walton

I was not one of Bill Walton’s closest friends. He just made me feel that way.

Walton did that for everyone he met. Many of the tributes that have poured forth since news of Walton’s death from cancer broke on Monday morning are more than admiring. They’re personal. Everyone has their own Bill Walton stories. It’s almost like his pedigree as one of the greatest basketball players in history is an afterthought. If Walton knew you even remotely, he would call out your name when he saw you, stretch out that ungainly long frame with the absurdly long arms, and look like he was trying to embrace the world and make it seem a little smaller.

When I heard the news that Walton had died, I was a little surprised to be reminded that he was only 71 years old. His body seemed older, his spirit seemed younger. Seven-one feels too